ALBANY, N.Y. – The My Brother’s Keeper program is expanding in New York, with East Ramapo and Poughkeepsie recently becoming the latest to join the initiative, state education officials said Tuesday.

Twenty-one communities have now joined the initiative, started by former President Barack Obama to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color. Other communities involved include Greenburgh, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining, White Plains and Yonkers.

To join the network, a community accepts an invitation from the state Board of Regents and commits to support the national and state goals. The state Education Department supplies grants for things like summer internship or mentoring programs.

Obama began the effort in 2014. New York enacted My Brother’s Keeper into law with the adoption of the 2016-17 budget, which included $20 million in funding.